International Women’s Day saw many of us take stand on various issues affecting women. Some were in the name of women empowerment, equality, some for marking the occasion and some were to bring into focus where we are still lagging.
For every instance through which we are inching close towards equality, we are also taking a step back by restricting women from breaking free of the traditional clutches, and the rock solid glass ceiling.
We love putting labels, on men, women, children or any living, breathing entity. We women are everyone’s favourites. We have started a discussion around homemakers. They are the most ignored and important part of the workforce, whose contribution is not acknowledged.
Bloomberg Quint released a video on the International women’s day #HomemakersBestCEO drawing parallels between a CEO of a company and a homemaker. Why the need for this video you ask? Isn’t this another way of saying homemakers are lesser than working professionals.
Homemakers don’t need reasons to be treated with respect. And please, let’s not play the ‘supreme sacrifice’ card when counting the positives of a homemaker. Every person in their capacity makes adjustments and compromises. Glorifying homemakers through words can only add to the gaping difference accorded to the status of working women and what we call, housewives.
House management, optimum distribution of resources in hand and money management are some of the basic responsibilities of a homemaker.
Add to that, when we talk about the impending era of artificial intelligence and the changing landscape of jobs, wherein most of the current clerical jobs will be rendered useless. Automation and robotics are going to do most of our technical jobs. Whereas management and soft skills, especially nurturers and caregivers, are going to be the hot job opportunities in future.
In this given scenario, we can imagine, homemakers to attain importance from the economic point of view and as a job with market value.
Homemakers or housewives are not considered professionals because what they do is not considered a “job.” May be because there’s an emotional factor involved. But we have to give face to their efforts, and streamline them into the market, else it will all just remain a mere mention.